sheathe

American  

[sheeth] / ʃið /

verb (used with object)

• sheathes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sheathed,
  past participle,  past
• sheathing
  present participle

1. to put (a sword, dagger, etc.) into a sheath.

2. to plunge (a sword, dagger, etc.) in something as if in a sheath.

3. to enclose in or as if in a casing or covering.

4. to cover or provide with a protective layer or sheathing.

   to sheathe a roof with copper.

5. to cover (a cable, electrical connector, etc.) with a metal sheath for grounding.

---

sheathe British  

/ ʃiːð /

verb

1. to insert (a knife, sword, etc) into a sheath

2. (esp of cats) to retract (the claws)

3. to surface with or encase in a sheath or sheathing

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sheather
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• sheathing
  present
• sheathed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sheathe
  simple
• sheathes
  simple
• have sheathed
  perfect
• has sheathed
  perfect
• am sheathing
  progressive
• are sheathing
  progressive
• is sheathing
  progressive
• have been sheathing
  perfect progressive
• has been sheathing
  perfect progressive

Past

• sheathed
  simple
• had sheathed
  perfect
• was sheathing
  progressive
• were sheathing
  progressive
• had been sheathing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sheathe
  simple
• will have sheathed
  perfect
• will be sheathing
  progressive
• will have been sheathing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sheathe

1350–1400; Middle English shethen, derivative of sheath

Explanation

The verb sheathe means to place in a sheath. What's a sheath? Well, that's any kind of protective covering. With that extra "e" on the end sheathe gives off a very old English vibe. Perhaps that's because all those knights were often sheathing their swords so as not to scare the fair ladies. Those knights were also sheathed in armor when going into battle or setting off to joust. These days, with medieval armaments in low demand, not much gets sheathed — except maybe the kitchen knives in the knife block or your cat's claws when they retract.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sheathe sheathes sheathed sheathing

You know those wool pockets that pro players sheathe over their golf clubs?

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026

Architect Daniel Huntington’s Hotel Piedmont even went so far as to use a large quantity of art tile from the Malibu Tile Company to sheathe the street-level facades.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 8, 2023

Most migraine researchers think that the pain of an attack is generated by increased firing of the trigeminal nerves, which carry sensory information from the face and the meninges that sheathe the brain.

From Nature ● Oct. 13, 2020

Others rely on a system that can sheathe a painting with a hard surface on command—useful both for security and to protect the art when residents are away.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2015

Though she would never quite articulate it this way, resentment began to sheathe concern.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Priced at $12 for a pack of 30, the square sheathes are prized by comedian Rebel Wilson.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2019

It sheathes its titular patriarch with muscles and weighs him down with worldly worries.

From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2017

You are now more likely to see a bouquet laden with sheathes of grass, arching vines of clematis, Fritillaria bulbs and flowering purple basil than just a polite cluster of roses or calla lilies.

From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2017

Previously, Batista has made gun sheathes from Soviet and checkered racing flags.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 22, 2015

The trees around are denuded, as if they’ve been burnt; webbing sheathes their trunks.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Every bone, down to the last dire wolf rib, must be carefully sheathed in a custom foam shell.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026

The post office steps, which I hit at a run, were sheathed in ice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

"We strongly advise that you keep this tool concealed, sheathed, and out of sight in public places – preferably in a gardening bag or toolbox rather than on your belt," it added.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2025

Sergeant Ruiz and other officers tangled with Mr. Bonawitz, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs nearly 300 pounds, before confiscating an eight-inch knife he had sheathed on his hip, prosecutors said.

From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024

It was the same soldier who, when they arrived at the training camp, a former primary school with buildings sheathed in palm fronds, shaved Ugwu’s hair with a piece of broken glass.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Mackie, the fashion designer who died Monday at 87 years old, had taken inspiration from Cher’s wardrobe, sheathing Barbie in a sleek, gold-sequined gown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Some of the crucial work done at Bell Labs might now seem mundane: for example, how to fabricate sheathing so undersea cables wouldn’t be chewed through by Toredo worms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026

Without proper ventilation, heat and moisture can cause sheathing and rafting to rot, he said.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 10, 2023

Steven Kirk, above, and Roberto Martinez installed wooden sheathing outside New Moon Natural Foods to prevent further snow damage in Tahoe City.

From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2023

There was no radio in the trailer, and the only reading material was a construction industry journal with boring articles about hurricane-resistant roof sheathing and antitermite treatments for plywood.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

Related Words

• encase